Self-facing retail merchandise displays are generally known in the art. Once such display is the pusher system. A conventional pusher system incorporates one or more pusher paddles or pusher bodies that ride along a respective elongated track. A spring is connected between the pusher body and a leading edge of the track. The spring acts to bias the pusher body forward along the track towards the leading edge thereof
A user can retract the pusher body away from the leading edge of the track and position items of retail merchandise in a linear row on top of the track and between the leading edge of the track and the pusher body. The biasing force provided by the spring and exerted upon the pusher body serves to bias the linear row of retail merchandise forward to ultimately “front face” the merchandise.
That is, when a customer removes the leading most item of merchandise from the linear row of merchandise, the pusher body will be drawn forward by the spring to index the row of merchandise forward so that the next item of merchandise in the row is positioned proximate the leading edge of the track in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Such automatic front facing eliminates the necessity for retail store employees to manually face the merchandise, and thus ultimately reduces the cost of labor of the retailer.
The aforementioned pusher systems have been utilized in various retail display environments. One example is a retail shelf. Typically, a plurality of pusher bodies and their corresponding tracks are arranged in a side by side manner along the shelf. Each pusher body and its corresponding track are separated by dividers to maintain a plurality of generally straight rows of merchandise that run from the front to the back of the shelf. Such a familiar configuration can be found in many retail stores for selling hygiene items such as deodorant, as one example.
Unfortunately, there are certain retail environments that have provided great difficulty with regard to the incorporation of a pusher system. Such environments include the commercial refrigerated cabinet or freezer. These displays are typically utilized to carry and display frozen or refrigerated food items on shelving therein. Examples of such items include frozen pizzas, ice cream, etc. The harsh environment inside these displays can cause ice build up which can lead to jamming or mechanical failure of a conventional pusher system if it were incorporated therein.
Further, typical commercial refrigerated cabinets or freezers tend have a significant shelf depth, as well as a significant number of shelves therein. As a result, loading a pusher system situated on this shelving in such a confined area presents significant difficulty and can be quite time consuming. Indeed, to load a pusher system, a user must push the pusher body away from its resting position with one hand, and load merchandise into the pusher system using their other hand. Such a two handed operation compounds in difficulty at greater cabinet depths.
Yet further, typical commercial refrigerated cabinets or freezers incorporate horizontal bars running along a back side thereof. These bars are utilized for shelf mounting and the like. As a result, such shelving extends from these bars in a generally cantilevered extension. This cantilevered extension can cause bending in the shelving when loaded with heavier items. Such bending is particularly problematic for a pusher system given its array of moving components.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a pusher system that can be readily incorporated into a refrigerated cabinet or a freezer that can operate in the relatively harsh environment therein, and that can be readily and easily loaded by a retailer.
The invention provides such a system. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.